Chapter 416: Chapter 416 - 410: The Man Holds Down Her Flailing Hands

Jing Jihan asked, "Have you ever thought about finding the child’s father?"

It seemed there was a bit of an interrogative tone to his question.

Shi Su, sipping her drink and holding her chin with one hand, smiled and said, "Haven’t I already found him? We’re married, everyone knows..."

Before finishing her sentence, she unexpectedly met the man’s deep, indifferent gaze, and she moderated her tone.

Jing Jihan had already pointed out that nothing she said was the truth, so there was no need to go around in circles.

She curled her lips, speaking as if it was no big deal: "I don’t know who the child’s father is, you could say that I haven’t even officially met him. I’m guessing you won’t believe me either, because now I seem like the boy who cried wolf too many times, so..."

"I believe you."

Shi Su was momentarily caught off guard with the words stuck in her throat. Since he believed her, she didn’t continue.

After all, she had just been intending to express that she truly doesn’t know who Mianmian’s father is, how the child came to be, or under what circumstances. Everything that happened that night was a nightmare she didn’t want to talk about and wouldn’t mention, not in this lifetime.

Jing Jihan appropriately stopped pressing her further, ordered the owner of the place to bring a bowl of pearl soup for her to eat, so she wouldn’t hurt her stomach drinking on an empty one.

Shi Su had only had about two or three cans, but the beer at this barbecue joint was especially strong, to suit the patrons’ fondness for booze.

Her tolerance wasn’t great, and though she wasn’t drunk yet, her head was already feeling quite fuzzy.

She lowered her head, sitting still and staring fixedly at the plate of food in front of her.

Until another can of beer was placed in front of her.

Shi Su stared straight at the beer, then looked up at Jing Jihan.

"If you still want to ask anything, just ask. I’m done drinking." Shi Su turned her head, sensing something inexplicable lurking beneath Jing Jihan’s calm demeanor, something she couldn’t quite grasp, looking composed and serene but seeming like a predator in waiting.

"If you find the child’s father, what do you plan to do?"

"Hiccup~" Shi Su suddenly hiccupped, looked at the beer in front of her, couldn’t resist and took a sip. She drank leisurely, squinting her eyes and started contemplating this question she’d avoided for seven years.

Two minutes later, she put down the empty can, hiccupped again and said, "What plan? Who knows how he turned out, what sort of character he might be."

Jing Jihan raised an eyebrow.

"Besides, I don’t even know his age..." Shi Su squinted again, looked at him: "Maybe he’s no longer alive. I tell you, that man didn’t seem very healthy, was down with a fever, couldn’t even fight off a woman of poor condition like me..."

Jing Jihan remained expressionless.

"So, you see, it’s possible he doesn’t exist anymore. Even if he does, what if he has a family? That would be awkward. Or worse, what if he’s some gang leader, with tattoos of dragons and tigers on his shoulders and scars on his face, might even sell me and Mianmian off."

Jing Jihan continued to remain expressionless.

Shi Su said and nodded her head in agreement: "Yeah, so, whoever he is, alive or dead, or however he might look, it’s none of my business, I’m not seeking him out."

Then, she suddenly slapped the table, with command and sway as she waved her hand at the expressionless man: "Another can~"

She’s had enough already.

Jing Jihan wasn’t lacking judgment, he ignored her waving hand, just as the owner brought in the pearl soup, he served some in a small bowl and placed it before her: "Eat up."

Shi Su looked down at the bowl, dizzy and dazed, muttered, "I wanted beer, not this, aren’t you trying to get me drunk?"

"After you eat, I’ll give you beer."

"Oh." Shi Su believed, found a spoon and began to eat.

The taste was good, after finishing a small bowl, she licked her lips, raised her eyes at him: "Where’s the beer?"

The man gestured toward the giant bowl of pearl soup in front of her: "I meant finish all of this."

Shi Su: "???? You want to stuff me to death?!"

November in Jiang City, cold winds blew through the night.

Shi Su stepped out of the barbecue shop, wobbling while she walked, refusing assistance despite being unsteady.

At the roadside, she looked at the passing cars, burped and giggled: "Look at that car, haha, it’s double, what new car accessory is that... two shadows, very realistic..."

After speaking, she swayed and almost fell backward, but was securely held by the man’s extended arm, and steadied again.

She laughed and continued watching the cars, then moved to intercept one in the middle of the road: "I should go home, I’ll call a... I’ll go call..."

Jing Jihan pulled her back into his arms, preventing her reckless dash into the street, just as a gust of cold wind made her shiver. Suddenly being pulled back into his embrace made her body shake, he took off his coat to wrap her up, looked down at her half-awake, smiling face, gently touched her head: "Cold?"

Shi Su shook her head, unsteady, but had the awareness to distance herself, and not lean into him.

Yet, as soon as she stepped back, she was immediately pulled back, her nose bumping into his chest painfully, she whimpered and tried to push him away with her hands.

"Stay still, don’t move!" The man restrained her flailing hands, turned to block the cold wind, raising his hand to hail down a taxi.

Shi Su seemed to hear him tell the driver to head toward Central City Road, instantly she struggled against his embrace: "Not to Central City Road... not there..."

But before she could finish resisting, she was already in the car, the driver glanced back with confusion, Jing Jihan quietly placed the hat, which she’d treasured before, over her head and lowered the brim to obscure her recognizable face.

"Not to Central City Road..." she mumbled in the backseat, leaning against Jing Jihan’s shoulder, frowning and whispering, "I don’t want to go..."

Jing Jihan lowered his eyes, looking at her through the side of the hat: "Reason?"

Shi Su hummed with her eyes closed, suddenly skewered her head with a self-deprecating smile, raised a hand to pinch her own cheeks, seemingly trying to sober herself, but to no avail she murmured, "I’m afraid... of messing up... afraid of passing the sixty-eight story building... afraid of getting trapped when I look back..."

Sixty-eight stories.

The tallest building on Central City Road was the Yu Jing Group.

The car sped past the Yu Jing Group office building square, without stopping.

Finally stopping on a quieter section of Central City Road, after getting out, Shi Su staggered a few steps, being supported by the man, turned to look around, noticed a building with lights still on, seemed to have some red characters at the entrance, something like... Civil... Registry...

"What... is this place?"

Jing Jihan removed the hat from her head: "Do you have your identification with you?"